Header connectors of the type shown in FIGS. 6 through 8 are known as connectors that are mounted on printed circuit boards. FIG. 6 is a front view of a header connector 100. This header connector 100 has a plastic housing 102 that is substantially U-shaped in cross-section, with the tine sections 108 of terminals 106 protruding from the bottom surface 104. Until a plug connector (not shown) is inserted into the connector 100, the contact sections 106a of the terminals 106 (see FIG. 7) are exposed, and are therefore susceptible to deformation by external forces. Accordingly, a connector 150 which covers the opening 112 (see FIG. 7) in the end portion 110 of the housing 102 is disposed on the right end of the housing 102 (with respect to FIG. 6). Connector 150 has terminals 152 with tine sections 158 which protrude from the bottom surface 154 of the connector 150. The tine sections 108 and 158 have compliant portions that possess springiness and that engage with through-holes in a circuit board 200. The tine sections 108 and 158 are fastened to the circuit board 200 by press-fitting, so that the connectors 100 and 150 are fastened to the circuit board 200. As a result, the opening 112 in the end portion 110 of the connector 100 is covered by the housing 156 of the connector 150, so that the terminals 106 are protected from external forces, and from invasion by outside dust.
FIG. 7 is an end view of the connector 100 alone, as seen from the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 6. It is seen from this end view that the housing 102 is open at the top and at both ends, i.e., in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the page. A plug housing is inserted into the recessed portion 116 of housing 102, and the respective terminals are electrically connected to each other.
When the connector 100 is in an unattached state prior to being attached to the circuit board 200, there is a considerable possibility that the contact sections 106a of the terminals 106 will be subjected to external forces or contamination by dust, etc. However, in the case of a conventional system, deformation or contamination of the contact sections 106a cannot be prevented.
The connector 150 can be electrically connected with a plug connector; however, there are cases in which this is not necessary, and the use of such a connector 150 results in an increase in the number of parts.
Furthermore, as is shown by another similar conventional example illustrated in FIG. 8, a so-called "mid-plane" mounting configuration may be adopted in which the tine sections 108' of the terminals 106' of a connector 100' pass through a circuit board 200 and protrude a considerable distance beyond circuit board 200, and a shroud 130 is fit over protruding tine sections 108' and fastened in place from the opposite side of the circuit board 200. In this case, however, connectors 150 used as covers cannot be installed in the same positions on the end portions of the connector 100' and shroud 130. The reason for this is that the through-holes of the circuit board 200 into which the connectors 150 are inserted cannot be used in common by both connectors 150, and in cases where these through-holes are not used in common, the spacing of the through-holes is excessively small so that strength cannot be maintained.